Let's Play Pretend
by seekingtomorrow
Summary: Mikasa Ackerman knew what she signed up for when she joined the police academy alongside her adopted brother, Eren. What she hadn't counted on was the inevitable attraction between her and Detective Levi. A series of Mikasa-centric drabbles set in a modern AU with assorted pairings.
1. those warm summer nights

**Let's Play Pretend**

**SUMMARY: **Mikasa Ackerman knew what she signed up for when she joined the police academy alongside her adopted brother, Eren. What she hadn't counted on was the inevitable attraction between her and Corporal Levi. A series of Mikasa-centric drabbles set in a modern AU with assorted pairings.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Shhh I'm awkwardly trying to join this fandom. Treat me kindly because I wrote this really early in the morning and I can already feel that it's not that great.

There will be a lot of pairings featured in this series, the most prominent of which will be Mikasa x Levi but it will be more implied than actually seen. Mikasa x Eren will appear from time to time, as will other pairings.

**DISCLAIMER: **Don't own.

* * *

Mikasa Ackerman leaned against the white cast iron of her apartment balcony, breathing in the mugginess that permeated the air of the large city of Maria. The summer nights were unusually warm, causing tendrils of hair to stick to the back of her neck in the most uncomfortable manner. She sighed slowly, running a hand behind her head and flipping her hair back.

"This city is just too warm," she murmured to herself, pulling her thin tank top away from her body. Deciding that the humidity was too much of an annoyance, she strode indoors, leaving the patio door wide open.

She snuck a look at the picture frame above the mantle. A smiling portrait of her foster mother greeted her gaze, its merriment almost mocking Mikasa's current state of grumpiness.

"I should light the candles," she said to no one in particular. She was used to it by now, her foster-brother, Eren, becoming more and more sullen as the number of days since their mothers passing increased.

The box of matches was almost empty. Mikasa pulled one out, striking against the side and brought the lit match close to one of the fat white candles. As the flame flickered on the wick, she caught herself gazing at it, almost absentmindedly. If it weren't for the awful, awful heat, she might have even tried touching it, it was so pretty.

There was a knock at the door.

Mikasa unfolded her lithe body from its position on the floor. She yanked open the door, only for it to slam shut.

"Stupid chain," she muttered, furiously trying to unlatch it. "Sorry about that," she said to the unfamiliar man—no, a cop—standing outside.

He nodded in a show of acknowledgement. "Is this your brother?" Beside the man stood Eren, bruised and a little bloodied as he slightly swayed from side to side.

"Yeah," Mikasa replied. "Where did you find him?"

"Bar fight," said the man bluntly, averting his eyes from Mikasa. "Near the Trost district." He was short, nearly a whole head shorter than Mikasa herself.

"Did he hurt anyone?"

The man shook his head. "Not seriously. Just a couple of bloody noses and broken glasses. But he's completely drunk."

"How did you know where to drop him off?" Mikasa asked, looking at Eren. Her poor brother didn't even seem to be awake.

"His friend told me," the man replied. "You should get an ice pack on that eye of his right away. It's probably going to swell."

Mikasa, never one for knowing how to deal with minor injuries as she had never really received any of her own, nodded slowly. "Thank you, officer."

The man picked up Eren from underneath his armpits and handed him to Mikasa. As he passed the nearly unconscious boy over, Mikasa caught a whiff of cigarette smoke.

"Was Eren smoking?" She blurted out.

The man blushed, the blooms of pink on his cheeks looking rather out of place on his stoic visage. "No," he said. "That's me."

"Oh." Mikasa balanced the surprisingly light weight of Eren on her shoulders. "Well, thank you officer," she repeated, not knowing how else to fill the awkward silence.

"You're welcome."

As Mikasa began to close the door, he spoke again.

"It's Rivaille."

"I'm sorry?" She opened the door a crack.

"My name," said Rivaille. "Well, usually people just call me Levi."

"Thank you, officer Levi," Mikasa said.

"Goodnight." As she tried to close the door again, Eren starting to weigh down on her, Levi spoke up once more.

"I'm sorry about your mother."

"Pardon?"

"It was in the newspaper and we all heard about it. Drive-by shooting. That Titan gang is really getting out of control."

"I appreciate your condolences." Mikasa never quite knew how to reply to the dozens of people who'd already told her this.

"The last name outside your door matches the name of the woman who passed on, so I figured you were probably her daughter."

"Adopted daughter," corrected Mikasa.

"I see," said Levi. "I shouldn't be keeping you, then. It's getting late. Goodnight, Miss…?"

"Ackerman," said Mikasa, "but you can just call me Mikasa."

Levi smiled almost grimly. "Goodnight Mikasa. Make sure to keep an eye on your brother in the future."

Mikasa closed the door. As she tried to soothe a half-asleep Eren, she dragged him over to the couch and placed a cold compress on his forehead. She quietly tiptoed around the living room, putting out the lit candles with wetted fingers.

As she finally went to bed, Mikasa swore she could still smell that faint whiff of cigarette smoke.

* * *

Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	2. a gesture of familiarity

**A Gesture of Familiarity**

**SUMMARY: **On the concrete steps right by the parking lot of the Police Academy and with the most unlikely person imaginable, Mikasa shares her deepest concerns. And a couple of a cigarettes.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Okay wow the response to this was way way better than I expected. Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and follows! You guys are fabulous. I'm having so much fun with this universe and I've already finished 2 more drabbles for it and am working on a third. I've even started a high school AU just for fun (because I usually don't like high school AUs) and it has Jean as the main character and Marco as the sensible friend. Let me know if you want me to continue working on it because I'm a little unsure at this point.

**DISCLAIMER: **Don't own.

* * *

The only reason why Mikasa had joined the police academy, the only reason why she ever truly ventured out of her comfort zone, was because of Eren. Usually Eren hated her coddling, but he seemed to be genuinely happy that she chose the same career path as him.

Training at the police academy was the most difficult thing Mikasa had ever done. Both physically and mentally taxing, it was the sole reason for the large black bags that began to gather under her eyes. More often than not, she would return home just to collapse on the couch and wake up in the middle of the night.

Eren, however, loved every moment of it.

Mikasa could see it in his eyes and the way he carried himself. He made up for his lack of proficiency in certain key areas with his utter determination and occasional loud declarations of personal goals.

"I'm going to kill them all!" He would stand from their balcony and yell. "I'm going to kill all the Titans!"

Sometimes, Mikasa felt bad for Eren. Unlike herself or Armin, he hadn't exactly adjusted so well to the training. While Armin excelled in the learning aspect, Mikasa was a prodigy at the physical. Eren showcased no extraordinary talents other than an aptitude for close-combat fighting and due to the close relationship between the three, Mikasa couldn't help wonder if Eren sometimes compared himself to her and Armin.

Though, most of the time, Mikasa only felt exasperation. Despite her choosing the same career path as Eren in order to be closer to him, she could feel him getting further and further away from her.

It all came to head, one dreary evening after a long day at the academy.

* * *

Mikasa sat down on the concrete steps. Eren was late. He'd promised to pick her up at six, but it was nearly six thirty and there was no sign of him. Readjusting the scarf around her neck, she then buried her head in her knees, wondering if her foster mother could feel her frustration.

The door behind her swung open, nearly pushing her down the steps.

"Sorry about that." Rivaille—usually called Levi due to an unfortunate spelling mix-up on his transcript which caused his name to be written out as 'Ravioli—stood behind her. "Are you okay?"

Mikasa stood up, grimacing slightly. "Perfect."

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yeah," she said. "Eren."

Levi looked around the parking lot. "By the looks of it, he's either late or you're really early."

"He was supposed to pick me up half an hour ago."

"That's unfortunate," said Levi. "Would you like a ride?"

"Do you even know where I live?"

Levi nodded. "I've been to your place once. A long time ago, though. Maybe you don't remember?"

Mikasa blushed uncharacteristically, remembering the one time she'd answered the door in her underpants and met her future senior. "Yeah, I remember. But, don't worry about it. Eren will be here, soon."

"Well, I'll wait with you."

Mikasa shook her head, her scarf unravelling. She picked up the ends and rewound it around her neck. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"It wouldn't be," said Levi. He rummaged through his immaculate tweed coat and pulled out a small cardboard box. "I could use a smoke anyways and I don't like the smell getting into my car seats. Do you mind?" He asked, gesturing to the packet.

"N-no," said Mikasa. "I just never took you for a smoker."

"A lot of people don't." Levi's voice was slightly muffled as he held the cigarette between his teeth, searching his pocket for a lighter. "You look like you could use a smoke."

Mikasa had never smoked in her life, often dismissing the habit as unhealthy. "I could," she said.

Levi held the open packet in her direction and Mikasa daintily pulled one out. Lifting it to her lips, she tilted her head toward the man. Flicking on his lighter, Levi lit the cigarette.

Mikasa inhaled deeply and started coughing wildly.

"You never smoked before?" Levi asked.

"No," choked Mikasa.

"Inhale slower," said Levi, looking at Mikasa with a concerned expression. "Let the smoke linger in your mouth for a while before you suck it into your lungs. Like me."

Like the prodigy she was, Mikasa watched and learned. Before long, she was smoking like it was something she was used to.

"You're good at this," said Levi. "I suppose I should feel bad for teaching my juniors about my bad habits."

Feeling daring, Mikasa responded, "Well, I'm your favourite junior so yes; you should probably feel very bad."

Levi laughed, tugging at the hem of his cravat. "I won't lie about that. You have grown on me in the past few weeks that we've spent not talking to each other."

"I guess I just have that effect on people," said Mikasa.

Levi rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

Even Mikasa wasn't completely oblivious. She was well-aware of her own looks and the way that men sometimes looked at her. She knew she was flirting with Levi, but right now, she could use the company.

"What's wrong?" Levi asked, sensing a sudden shift in Mikasa's mood. "Are you still angry at Eren?"

"Yes," said Mikasa in a clipped tone. "And no."

"No?"

Mikasa sighed. "I'm concerned about him."

"Concerned? About Eren? I don't know him that well, but from what I've seen and heard, he's the last person whom you need to be concerned about."

"Are you kidding?" Mikasa punctuated her comment with a raised eyebrow. "He wants to go undercover as a member of the Titans so he can infiltrate their gang. And then he wants to join the chain of command where he'll be able to exterminate them all."

"Wow," said Levi. He scratched at a spot underneath his eye. "I suppose your worries have some justification."

"He's going to get himself killed."

"I doubt that," said Levi. "In fact, I doubt that very much."

"Really? You've probably heard some things about Eren. No offense to him, but he isn't the best suited to any sort of undercover operations. He's not the smartest person, nor is he the most logical. He's going to get himself _killed_."

"Not if he has you," said Levi.

Mikasa did a double-take. "I'm sorry?"

"You're going to help him, aren't you?"

Mikasa nodded slowly.

"I mean, without you, he's hopeless. Completely hopeless," he continued, "he's probably die within a week of not being around you. He's like a pet."

"I should be offended," said Mikasa. "Hopefully you're going somewhere with this."

"I am," said Levi. "Eren's not going to get himself killed because you're not going to let him and we both know that you're more than capable of saving people."

Mikasa could feel the tips of her ears growing red. "Thanks," she mumbled, looking down at her feet.

Levi raised his hand, as if to set it on her head, but thought better of it. He grasped her by the hand. "You're a good kid," he said, looking into her eyes. "And you're going to be the best of the best. I know it."

Mikasa's breathed unevenly. Before she could respond, a car honk blared.

"Mikasa!" Eren called.

"I should go." Mikasa waved in the general direction of Eren's car. "Thank you," she said to Levi. "For the cigarette."

"No problem." Levi dropped his cigarette, crushing it with the bottom of his leather shoes. "See you around, Ackerman."

* * *

"You're late," said Mikasa irritably.

"I know, I know." At least Eren sounded apologetic. "I totally forgot."

"You forgot about me," said Mikasa, deadpan.

"Well, you could have called."

Mikasa looked back at Levi through her window, watching him as he walked to his own car, cigarette dangling from his mouth. "Yeah," she said. "I probably could have."

* * *

Reviews are appreciated!


	3. camaraderie

**Camaraderie**

**SUMMARY: **Mikasa finds herself spending the afternoon at the shooting range with no one but a silent Annie for company.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Sorry for the filler. I just feel like I need a short chapter to sort of establish Mikasa's relationship with the people around her. Although her relationship with Levi is incredibly important and will eventually become the most focal one in her life, I want her to be more than just "Eren's sister" or "Levi's eventual lover". I'll be updating this soon, so don't worry. The next chapter is in the editing process.

ALSO, I write a lot of Mikasa x Levi drabbles on my tumblr that I don't post here. The link should be in my profile, but if you're on mobile and can't get to it, my URL is "aforcetoberickonedwith" and my drabbles are under the tag "drabble". Or if you want to get really specific about it, "snk drabble".

**DISCLAIMER: **Don't own.

* * *

The shooting range was unusually empty for a Sunday afternoon. Mikasa aimed her gun and fired, blowing a hole directly through the desired spot on her target. Breathing out, she relaxed only slightly, glad that she had chosen one of the rare days in which the range was unoccupied. Unlike Eren who favoured crowds and the company of others, Mikasa preferred occasional solitude.

Well, despite the presence of Annie Leonhart, it was as much solitude as Mikasa could hope to get.

It wasn't that Mikasa _hated_ the girl, per se. It was just that she hadn't really gotten the chance to know her. Unlike the people in their class—Krista had more than once extended an invitation for lunch and Sasha seemed insistent on calling Mikasa "one of my closest friends"—Annie was far too stoic and intimidating for Mikasa to approach.

Mikasa rolled her shoulders and straightened her neck. Taking aim, she fired again, imaging that the bullet was tearing through the neck of an actual Titan and not just a paper target. She quelled the mild horror she felt at the mental image. The Titans were dangerous. She had joined the force with the intent of protecting Eren so he could avenge his (or was it their?) mother.

Looking over at Annie, Mikasa was mildly impressed with the other girl. Her aim was near-perfect and she barely flinched each time she pulled the trigger. After one particularly spectacular shot, Annie set her gun down. Mikasa quickly turned back to her own target, not wanting the other girl to know she'd been watching.

She snuck a peek at Annie. The girl met her stare with a steady one of her own. She tapped her ears. Mikasa took off her headphones.

"You're a good shot, Ackerman," she said.

Mikasa blinked. "Thanks, Leonhart."

For a second, Mikasa was worried that Annie might ask her to morning coffee or something else that required forced—not to mention awkward—interaction between the two. However, to her utter surprise, Annie said nothing else and resumed gathering her things. She strode out of the room with an even gait, pausing only to wave her hand in a casual gesture of farewell

After Annie left, Mikasa resumed her practice. A tiny smile quirked the corners of her mouth as she remembered Krista's invitation to have lunch with her, Ymir, and Sasha. Maybe she would accept it after all.

* * *

Reviews are appreciated :) Hopefully you don't all hate me for how filler-y this is. Also, a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited, and/or followed!


	4. mingling smoke

**Mingling Smoke**

**SUMMARY: **The only reason why Mikasa agreed to host this party was because her boyfriend insisted on it. Luckily, she finds someone to spend the night with. Mikasa x Jean, implied Mikasa x Levi.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Finally, here comes the update! Going to casually promote my tumblr again (aforcetoberickonedwith) and the fact that I write a TON of Levi x Mikasa drabbles there (found under the "snk drabble" tag on my blog). I do not post these drabbles anywhere but my tumblr, so check them out! I write a lot of AUs.

Ummm the rating might be going up in the next few chapters. Nothing worthy of an "M" rating, but it might qualify as a "T". I haven't decided yet.

**DISCLAIMER: **Don't own.

* * *

Jean Kirstein had a beautiful house; it was the perfect house for hosting a party in which you invited all of your classmates and close friends. Which he did.

And Mikasa cursed him all the more for it.

When Jean had told her that he wanted her help in having a party for some of their friends, Mikasa assumed that it was be a small gathering. Maybe ten people? However, Jean was as outspoken as he was (occasionally) idiotic and had insisted on inviting his huge group of friends from their graduating class amongst others.

The party was a lot more work than Mikasa had originally thought. Luckily, Jean had proven himself by being a fantastic party planner and not leaving all the work for his girlfriend.

"Great party, Mikasa!" Called out Krista from the open bar where she was being chatted up by at least three guys. Ymir hovered closely, the promise of pain in her eyes if anyone dared make Krista upset.

Mikasa only nodded in response, holding up her slowly dwindling drink.

The party was in full swing. People that Mikasa hardly recognized took up every corner of the room. Though that blonde kid with the lampshade on his head might have been Armin. Mikasa was too tired to check.

"Mikasa!" Jean popped his head into the entrance of the living room. "Could you please grab me two bottles of red wine from the garage?"

"Yeah," she responded. "Are they in the fridge?"

Jean grinned. "No, they're on the shelf. We only chill white wine, boo."

"Did he just call you 'boo'?" Asked Sasha teasingly as she walked by. "That's so cute. You guys are so horrendously cute, I sometimes want to barf."

"At least they don't make out in public all the time," chimed in Connie.

"What do you mean 'all the time'?" Eren yelled from the opposite corner of the room. "You mean they make out in public sometimes?"

Jean was blushing from ear to ear now.

"Red wine?" Mikasa repeated. "Shelf in garage? I'll be back in a second." And before Eren could possibly explode, she darted out of the room and into the backyard. Due to the slightly colder weather—a sudden departure from the normally warm nights that prevented Mikasa from wearing socks while she slept—the backyard was fairly empty. The only light came from the dim orange glow of a cigarette on the left side of the porch. "Rivaille."

"Ackerman," said Levi. "I didn't take you for a party person."

"I'm not. This party was Jean's idea."

Levi grimaced. "I didn't take you for someone who would willingly play hostess."

"I'm still not. Jean's the host. I'm just being his gopher. Fetching stuff, you know." Mikasa walked over and stood next to Levi, leaning against the sturdy wood of the porch railing. "You got any more of those?" She asked, pointing at his cigarette.

Levi snorted. "I don't give out my cigarettes."

"Then pass me yours."

"That's gross," said Levi, scrunching up his nose in faint disgust. "I don't even share food with people so why would I share something I put my mouth on?"

"Because you know I'm hygienic," replied Mikasa. "I'm also your favourite new recruit."

"You're not my favourite," said Levi, not quite looking at Mikasa.

"Yes, I am. You've already made it quite clear you don't like Eren and you don't even remember the names of half the people in my class."

"Fair enough," agreed Levi. "But that hardly makes you my favourite."

"What it does make me is something whom you like a lot more than a ton of people," countered Mikasa. "Which, in my books, is enough."

Grudgingly, Levi passed over his cigarette.

After exhaling a cloud of smoke, Mikasa handed the cigarette back to Levi. "Are you enjoying the party?"

Levi shrugged. "It could be worse, I suppose."

Mikasa took the cigarette from Levi's hand. "Jean's not the type of guy who would take that as a compliment."

"Well, I'm not the type of guy who gives out compliments very easily." Levi positioned their shared roll of tobacco between his fingers.

"You complimented me," said Mikasa, leaning forward. "A long time ago."

"You're a special case, Ackerman."

"You can call me by my first name. I'm not going to take offense."

Levi moved in closer to Mikasa. "You're a special case, _Mikasa._"

And before she could stop herself, Mikasa was kissing him.

The fact that her boyfriend was just in the house behind them didn't register in Mikasa's head. The only thing that mattered right now was how she could be so close and not close enough at the same time.

When they parted, Mikasa touched her forehead to his. "We shouldn't have done that."

Levi smiled genuinely; a rare sight. "I've done a lot of things I shouldn't have done."

"Jean's going to kill you."

"I'm shaking in my boots." He leaned in again.

"We're kissing right outside a roomful of people, including my boyfriend," murmured Mikasa against Levi's lips.

"Do you want to stop?" He whispered back.

Mikasa gently untangled his arms from around her waist. "We probably should," she said, finally coming down from her high. Smoothing down her hair, she took note of the way that Levi's cravat was completely wrinkled. She could only imagine what she looked like.

"In case he sees us?" Levi asked. Despite his straight posture and stoic demeanor, his cheeks were bright red.

"In case anyone sees us," replied Mikasa.

Suddenly, the porch door opened from behind them. "Mikasa, did you—Levi!" Jean Kirstein stood in the doorway, an embarrassingly lacy apron tied around his waist. "I didn't know you were out here!"

"John." Levi inclined his head.

"Jean," said Jean, his smile faltering. "Mikasa," he turned to his girlfriend, "did you find the wine?"

Mikasa looked back and forth. "I was just about to get it," she said coolly.

"Well," Levi ground his heel into the wood of the patio, "I should get going now."

"So early?" Jean asked. "The party's just starting. You should stay! Right, Mikasa?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "Stay," she said to the man. "Please," she added for good measure.

The corner of Levi's lips quirked a little. "I'll see you again, soon." The comment was vague enough to be directed toward the both of them, but Mikasa knew it was for her ears alone. "Goodnight." Striding down the porch steps, Levi walked out of the yard.

"Strange guy," said Jean. "Glad you decided to keep him company though."

"Me too," said Mikasa, looking out in the direction Levi had gone. "Me too."

* * *

Reviews encourage me to write faster!


	5. infidelity

**Infidelity **

**SUMMARY: **It wasn't that Mikasa didn't love Jean; it was just that she liked Corporal Levi just a tiny bit more.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Oh look another update! Also, the rating is going up! To T! Which is not very exciting, but please bear with me!

Oh and I'm working on some other fics. At least, I think I'm working on some other fics. They'll definitely be Levi x Mikasa AUs, but I haven't decided the type of AU (most likely modern) or the supporting characters or the genre or anything.

**DISCLAIMER: **Don't own.

* * *

"You're going already?"

Mikasa turned around, her previously-crisp button down shirt hanging off the slope of her shoulder. "I didn't know you were awake."

Levi put his hands behind his head and leaned against his pillow. "You started moving around, so I woke up."

Mikasa shrugged her shirt on and began doing up the buttons. "I should go," she said. "Jean's probably looking for me."

Levi reached over to the bedside table and pulled out a carton of smokes. Pulling one out, he offered the box to Mikasa.

She frowned. "I'm not smoking in your bed after having sex with you. Besides, I'm going to get ash on the sheets and you're going to freak out again."

Levi grabbed a crystal ashtray off his table and dropped it onto the space between them. The heavy crystal weighed down on the maroon sheets, creasing it.

"Jean doesn't like the smell of smoke," Mikasa reasoned. "He thinks it's bad for me." Her last words echoed, carrying more meaning than just a particular person's disgust for the scent of tobacco.

"It is bad for you." Levi agreed, twirling a cigarette between his fingers. "A lot of things are bad for you, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do them." He lit the tip of it.

"Are we still talking about cigarettes here?" Mikasa asked drily. She leaned over the side of the bed, searching for her pants.

"They're underneath the bed," said Levi without even looking at Mikasa. "And yes, I was still talking about cigarettes. Unless you think I'm talking about something else."

Mikasa paused in her search. Sighing, she flopped back against the bed and held her hand out. Wordlessly, Levi handed his smoke to her. She took a deep drag.

"I thought you said you weren't going to do it," said Levi tonelessly.

"I've said a lot of things," replied Mikasa. "And I didn't mean half of them."

"Like the time you said you loved Jean."

"Nope," said Mikasa, running a hand through her tangled hair. Levi had a penchant for pulling on it. "I meant that."

"Past tense." Levi blew out a cloud of smoke.

"Sorry?"

"Past tense," he repeated. "You don't love him anymore?"

"I never said that."

Levi glanced at Mikasa shrewdly. "You know, you're probably the most loyal person I've ever met."

Mikasa didn't answer, trying to do up the last of her buttons with shaking hands.

"Besides the fact that you're sleeping with me behind your boyfriend's back, you're incredibly loyal. To everyone that you care about, that is."

"I don't know what you're trying to get at, so you better make your point," snapped Mikasa.

"Basically," Levi folded the sheets neatly around his bare chest, "I don't think you really care about Jean, let alone love him."

"Stop it," whispered Mikasa.

"You love Eren and your loyalty to him is almost blind. You're willing to do anything for him."

"Stop."

"Armin is your childhood friend and very precious to you. You'd never betray him."

"Stop talking."

"You even cherish someone like Sasha and wouldn't do anything do purposely hurt her."

"I don't want to hear this, Levi."

"And me," he said with flourish.

"You?" Mikasa's voice was a harsh whisper. "What makes you think I care one iota for you?"

"Well, you clearly aren't in this just for the sex."

Mikasa's face turned an admirable shade of red.

"I mean, even I could tell you were faking. Typically, people don't actually scream 'OH GOD YES' at the top of their lungs when—"

"Okay, I get it!" Mikasa interrupted, waving her hands in the air wildly. "But that doesn't mean anything. Maybe I'm sleeping with you to get a promotion. You are a very influential officer."

"I doubt it," Levi said. "You could easily get a promotion without having to…_persuade_ me. You're a prodigy."

"So that's your reasoning as to why I care about you?" Mikasa stretched her legs out on the huge bed, staring up at the white ceiling. "Because I'm not averse to having terrible sex with you?"

"Okay, 'terrible' is harsh," said Levi. He crushed the butt of the cigarette in the ashtray and placed it back onto the laminate wood nightstand. "But yes, I do imagine it's somewhere along those lines."

"That's terrible reasoning," said Mikasa. "Your logic makes no sense. Did you sleep with your superiors to become a higher-up or something?"

Levi chuckled. "No, but Irvin Smith is undoubtedly a very handsome man."

"You've got that right," agreed Mikasa.

The two laughed and fell into a companionable silence. Levi lit up another cigarette, sharing it between the two of them. After a few failed attempts at trying to blow smoke rings, they gave up. Eventually, morning seeped into afternoon, and Mikasa still found herself unable to leave.

"Eren is still going on about destroying the Titans, you know." Mikasa said to Levi, digging her hand into a bowl of popcorn. After much pleading, Levi had finally relented and let Mikasa eat in his bed.

"Are you still concerned about him?" Levi grudgingly grabbed a handful from her.

"I'm always concerned about him," said Mikasa. "But this time, he's serious about it. He's put a police radio in every room of our home. I won't let him keep a real gun by his bed, so he's taken to pasting targets all over the house and practicing like he's in a spy movie."

"That sounds exactly like something Eren would do. Have you talked about this to Jean?"

Mikasa flinched at the mention of her boyfriend's name, the pleasant mood dissipating fast. "We haven't really talked about it. Jean's really concerned about his own training so I thought I shouldn't bother him with this."

"Maybe you should talk about it with him."

Mikasa shook her head. "Him and Eren don't really see eye-to-eye. If I told him, he'd take it as a joke and just use it as ammunition in their arguments."

"Do they fight a lot?" Levi asked through a mouthful of popcorn.

"Enough for it to get on my nerves," replied Mikasa.

"I wouldn't fight with Eren."

"That's because Eren's terrified of you," said Mikasa, matter-of-fact. "He still sleeps with a night light sometimes."

Levi scoffed. "And that's exactly the type of reaction I want to inspire in my juniors."

Mikasa leaned in close. "You don't frighten me," she said, plucking a piece of popcorn from Levi's hand.

"That's because you're not afraid of anything."

Mikasa frowned. "I'm afraid of a lot of things."

"Like?"

"Like Eren getting hurt. Or Armin thinking he isn't good enough." She looked at Levi with a wounded expression. "And what Jean will think of me if he ever finds out about us."

A muscle jumped in Levi's jaw. "Maybe if you're so afraid of what your boyfriend will think of you if he learns about us, you should stop seeing me."

Mikasa didn't reply, scratching at a spot of grease on the bedspread. "You should probably wash the sheets after I leave."

"Mikasa," said Levi warningly. "Don't change the subject. If you are so worried about Jean, don't see me. It's really that simple."

"And what if I don't want to stop," said Mikasa daringly.

Levi caressed her cheek and sighed. "Then choose me."

"It's not that simple."

"It can be."

"What about Jean?"

"And what about him?"

Mikasa pushed Levi's wandering hands off her body. "I should go," she said, not looking at him.

Levi leaned back into the pillows. "Yeah, maybe you should." He lit up another cigarette.

"I'll see you around, then?" She asked, awkwardly.

"Maybe," he replied.

Pulling her pants up her legs, Mikasa stepped into her shoes and tossed her coat over her shoulder. "I'll see you later."

Levi waved, already distracted by the television.

Mikasa stood, one hand on the doorknob. "Goodbye, Levi." Her tone held a finality that she never thought possible.

"Bye, Ackerman," he said.

Without hesitation, Mikasa left Levi.

And it did feel a lot like goodbye.

Then again, thought Mikasa, it probably was the best course of action.

* * *

Reviews are appreciated because I feel very iffy about this!


	6. we need to talk

**we need to talk**

**SUMMARY: **Somehow, Mikasa both adores and dreads that four word sentence. Jean x Mikasa, implied Mikasa x Levi.

**(important) AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I updated! Finally!

Recently, someone mentioned that Mikasa and Levi were being really OOC because things escalated rather quickly. My reasoning for that is that this is a series of drabbles. While it's all in chronological order, there are going to be some time skips (mostly because I don't have the patience to fill them in). And though I may be wrong, I don't necessarily think that their relationship escalated so fast from the first to second chapter. They went from knowing each other to having a conversation that didn't involve small talk.

Also, due to the nonexistence of Titans (well, nonexistence in the sense that they don't want to kill and eat everyone), people's priorities are going to be different. Modern AU Levi wouldn't have to worry so much about getting eaten. Same goes with Modern AU Mikasa. That's why I made this fic modern AU. Without the issue of gigantic Titans, I feel like there is more hope of romance and more room for Mikasa and Levi to actually get to know one another on a personal level.

(And to be truthful, we don't know a whole lot about Levi's views on romance. We know that canon Levi would probably be adverse to it, owing to the fact that your loved one might get killed horribly. But if given the chance and guaranteed the safety of both parties, what would he say in that situation? Seeing as it's never been brought up, we don't know.)

Honestly, I'm sorry if my versions of Mikasa and Levi come off as OOC to anyone, but please try to remember that they are going to be a little different when their main priority isn't killing titans and literally ensuring mankind's survival.

Sorry for the crazy-long note!

* * *

"We need to talk."

Mikasa looked up at her superior, Deputy Chief Erwin Smith. "Can I help you with something, sir?"

Erwin regarded the girl carefully. "Walk with me."

Mikasa stood up from her desk, her friends—Sasha and to a lesser extent, Annie—casting her confused glances. Mikasa could only shrug hopelessly in response. "Not to be rude or anything, but where exactly are we going, sir?"

"My office."

Mikasa quickened her pace, following Erwin through the wide hall. The walls were decorated with corkboards depicting a variety of things, from photographs of wanted criminals, to schedules for the next month, to even the occasional birthday card and coupon voucher.

When they reached the end of the hall, Erwin opened the door and beckoned Mikasa inside. "Have a seat."

Looking around, Mikasa decided that she was immediately impressed with Erwin's taste in interior décor. The room—though minimalistic—managed to convey that the man within was serious, but not willing to let that austerity get in the way of looking good. Admiring the shiny leather chairs in front of his desk, Mikasa made herself comfortable in one and almost forgot that Erwin was watching her rather intently.

"Comfortable?"

Mikasa thought she detected a note of amusement in his voice. "Yes," she replied, "very."

"Glad to hear it," said Erwin. "And you'll be glad to hear that you've been all that the higher-ups can talk about, lately?"

"Pardon?" Mikasa stopped shuffling around in the chair.

"You've moved through ranks quicker than almost anyone else," said Erwin. He tented his hands, the heavy signet ring on his left hand standing out. "You've shown incredible talent, the likes of which is rarely seen."

Mikasa just nodded, not sure how to respond to the praise.

"That's not to say that your peers aren't talented. Your friend, Armin Arlert, has shown near-genius levels of intellect and another one your colleagues—Annie Leonhardt—can aim better than half of the people I work with. However, you're a special case, Mikasa."

"Thank you, sir."

Erwin opened one of his drawers and pulled out a thick stack of papers. He slid it across his desk to Mikasa, who stared at the packet with slight apprehension. "I would like to offer you the opportunity to become a Detective."

"What?"

"You don't have to accept right away. Read the conditions and if it still interests you, come talk to me again."

"I'm not sure what to say," said Mikasa. "But, thank you for the opportunity."

Erwin inclined his head. "I urge you to take advantage of this chance, Mikasa. You'll have access to a lot of high-level cases."

Mikasa perked up.

"If you choose to, you may work in the organized crime and homicide branch. You may find information on the Titans, if you wish."

Her grip on the armrest tightened.

"If you choose to accept this, you'll be working closely with some of my other colleagues, some of whom you already know. Petra Ral, Auruo Bossard, and Rivaille amongst others. I encourage you not to tell anyone, but I've offered a position like yours to Armin Arlert, whose talents seem to be more suited to forensics."

Mikasa forced herself not to react at the mention of the third name. "I will look over this," she promised Erwin. "But, expect my answer to be a yes."

* * *

"We need to talk."

Levi hardly turned around, only angling the back of his head in her direction. "I'm busy right now. Can we talk later?"

Mikasa shrunk back slightly. "You're just faxing some documents. Can we talk now?"

Levi sighed, leaning on the grey table near the fax machine. The copy room was small, more of a closet than anything else, but it provided Mikasa with the privacy she wanted for this particular conversation. "Listen, Ackerman."

Mikasa flinched at the use of her last name, something Levi hadn't called her since the earlier days of her being a cadet.

"I'm a busy guy," said Levi. "I have a lot of work to do and my co-workers are lazy as hell. Can we talk some other time?"

"That's just the thing," insisted Mikasa. Lowering her voice, she continued. "Erwin wants me to become a detective."

Levi didn't even react. "I knew you could do it," he said. "But, what's your goddamn point?"

Shrugging off his brusque attention, Mikasa pressed on. "Are you okay with this?"

"Why should it matter whether or not I'm okay with this?"

Mikasa clenched her fists involuntarily. "I don't know if you'd be uncomfortable working with me or not."

"And why the hell does that matter? If you want the job, you take it." He roughly grabbed a stack of papers off the machine, but didn't leave like he'd promised earlier. "Is it Yeager?"

"What about Eren?" Asked Mikasa defensively.

"Is he being a brat? Is he telling you not to take it?"

Mikasa averted her eyes from Levi's glare. "No, I haven't told him yet. But, I will!" She said, taking note of Levi's exasperation. "I will."

Levi hoisted the pile of papers and tucked it under his arms. "I suggest you make up your mind soon," he said. "It's a good opportunity and you deserve it." His voices softened slightly.

"Thanks."

As Levi left, Mikasa reached out to as if to touch his wrist, but stopped herself.

This time, it seemed that she was the one watching him walk away.

* * *

"We need to talk." Annie Leonhardt slammed a hand onto the surface of Mikasa's desk. The photo frames on the table shook slightly; one wobbled precariously and would have toppled over if not for Annie's quick reflexes. She awkwardly placed it back, next to the others.

Mikasa started and quickly minimized the game of Solitaire she'd been playing. "What is it?"

Annie straightened up and cleared her throat awkwardly. "About the staff party we had last week. I got so drunk, I could barely walk straight and ended up leaving the bar. Reiner and Bert told me you drove all over town to find me and bring me home."

"It wouldn't have been right to just let you go," said Mikasa.

"Well," Annie glared at a spot near Mikasa's feet, "thanks. For doing that. You had no obligation to, but you did. So, thanks."

"No problem." A part of Mikasa was curious as to why Annie hadn't left, and another part of her was hoping she would so that she could get on with her Solitaire.

"So, do you wanna get lunch or something?"

"Pardon?"

"As a thank you." Annie gestured to nothing in particular. "Not anywhere fancy. Maybe the café down the road."

"Like lunch between friends?" Mikasa quirked a brow.

Annie gave a half-shrug, half-nod. "Yeah. I guess."

"Sounds good."

"Good."

"See you around, Leonhardt."

"Catch you later, Ackerman."

* * *

"We need to talk."

That was all Jean needed to say for Mikasa's heart to start beating irregularly. "What's the matter?"

Jean sat down across from her, his hands folded. "About us. Our relationship."

Mikasa felt an eruption of butterflies—or maybe moths—in her stomach. She gulped and twiddled her thumbs. "This feels like an interrogation," she joked lamely. "Or are you going to ask me to hand in my badge?"

Jean didn't laugh. "I'm serious, Mikasa."

Mikasa reached across the table and took one of his hands in hers. "I can be serious."

Jean slipped his hand from her grip. "I did something."

"Something?" Mikasa quirked a brow at his lack of specificity.

Jean nodded. "Something bad. I don't expect you to forgive me."

Mikasa felt a swooping sensation in the pit of her stomach and it felt suspiciously like guilt. "I have something to tell you, too."

"Should we do it together, then?" Asked Jean. "To make things easier."

"Sure." Mikasa withdrew her hands from the table and placed them in her lap, hoping that Jean didn't catch how they were trembling ever-so-slightly. She fisted the cloth of her skirt, trying her best to calm her thundering heart.

"Ready? One, two, three…"

"I cheated."

"I slept with someone else."

Mikasa looked up at Jean with wide eyes. Jean stared back, a mixture of disbelief—and possibly relief—etched on his handsome face. "What did you say?" He asked slowly.

"I cheated?" Mikasa phrased it like a question. "What did you say?"

"I slept with someone else," repeated Jean. As the realization sunk in, he laughed humourlessly. "Damn it. What are the chances?"

"This isn't funny," said Mikasa.

"It sort of is," said Jean. "I mean, it's not like we were seriously in love or anything." At Mikasa's flinch, he rolled his eyes. "Mikasa, I'm not blind. We've been growing apart for a while, now. I knew you were never really in love with me."

"That's not the point!" Mikasa insisted. "I did something wrong and I regret it."

"Good," said Jean. He walked over to one of the glass-fronted cabinets and pulled out a bottle of wine. Unscrewing the top—because he hated buying wines you had to uncork—he took a swig from the bottle and handed it to Mikasa. She held the bottle gingerly and very delicately, took a small sip. "You should feel bad."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, feeling the warmth of the alcohol make its way through her chest. She reached out for the bottle again.

"Me too," said Jean.

The two passed the bottle back and forth until it was empty. Always the lightweight, Jean's face took on a redder shade. "Do you want another?" He asked.

"That would be nice."

As he unscrewed the bottle with some difficulty, Mikasa rummaged through the pantry and managed to find a half-eaten box of chocolates and a tin of cookies. She laid them on the table with some napkins. "No glasses?"

Jean shook his head. "Nah."

They ate in silence, only pausing to comment on how good the wine was and how well it went with the sweets. Eventually, Mikasa broke the pseudo-silence.

"What do we do now?"

"Hm?" Jean pulled the bottle away from his face. "We finish the rest of this bottle and maybe another few I have."

"I'm talking about us," said Mikasa. "And our relationship. We both cheated on each other."

"We're terrible people," mused Jean. "We're just a bunch of terrible people."

"At least we have each other," joked Mikasa.

"Do you still want to?" Jean was serious. Putting the bottle down, he clasped his hands together and looked across the table at Mikasa. "We can try again, if you want to. I mean, it's not like we have anything to lose."

Mikasa fiddled with holes in her sweater. "Is it okay if we don't?" At Jean's lack of expression, she hastily backtracked. "It's not that I hate you or anything. I don't really have any right to be mad at you, not after what I did. But, I just don't know if that would be healthy for us."

"Is it that person?"

Mikasa nodded wordlessly. "I left him and now I realize I love him."

Jean waved his hand in her general direction. "Go for it. I'd support you if you weren't…you know, my ex-girlfriend."

"I'm sorry," apologized Mikasa. "I did love you. I just don't think I was ever in love with you."

Jean shrugged. "You can't force what you don't have."

Mikasa stood up from the table and tucked her chair in. "I'll pack up my stuff tonight," she promised. "I just have a few things here, but I'll be out of your hair before midnight."

"Don't worry about it. Take your time. You can stay the night, if you want to."

"No, I don't want to impose."

"If you insist." Jean spoke up right before Mikasa could exit the kitchen. "And if you don't mind me asking, is it Levi?"

Mikasa nodded wordlessly.

"I suppose I always knew," said Jean. "I just never really figured it out until now. Oh, and I guess I should tell you, shouldn't I?"

"You don't have to."

"It was Marco for me." Jean's voice was light, but to Mikasa, he looked like he wanted to cry. "I guess we're in pretty similar situations, aren't we."

"I guess," agreed Mikasa. "I'm sorry, Jean."

"I'm sorry, too."

* * *

"We need to talk." Those were the first words out of Mikasa's mouth before Marco could even ask who was calling him at two AM in the morning.

* * *

Reviews are appreciated and fantastical and I love all of you people :)


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